It depends on the layout of the house whether having someone let themselves in is an option. Sometimes the configuration is such that you would not want anyone "letting themselves in".

I have a lovely old door that I am not about to mess up with a keypad lock - my choice and that is it. So once I lock it, it is locked until I trigger the little button in the morning (the skeleton key is a PITA and difficult and if used, the knob no longer works from the inside - fire hazzard to me) and no one is going to come in my kitchen door if I can help it.

Once in my foyer, there is the door to my quarters - and we all know what a magnet a closed door is to guests. So I will wait up. That is also my choice. I want to know who is in my house if I need to identify them.

that means i manually put the little x in the box showing the date and room occupied so that it corresponds with what i wrote, but it doesn't show me an actual reservation like when a guest enters all their info online into the webervations system.

I have 3 confirmation letters that I wrote with "fill in the blanks". I e-mail every reservation this confirmation letter (regulat, horse, or package) spelling out the number in the party and of nights, arriving, Wednesday, September 6 and departing September 7 in the ____ Room at $xx per night plus x% tax. I reiterate the dietary info given to me. If a package I also include everything in the package so there is no misunderstanding. With horses I spell out the location for the phone call so I can meet them at the Interstate to lead them to the stable.

Each letter includes the cancel policy (and the horse cancel includes the stable fee) and directions to get here (horses get the exit number). I e-mail this with reservation details - XX House Sept 7 in the subject line (makes it easier to find if I need to verify something or make a change.

Do you use the Nightclerk part of Webervations? If so, do you send confirmation emails? I send one and ask for a reply accepting the terms of the reservation. This is for my protection if they are no show or cancel after cancel by date.

Of course there are those few that do not have (or will not provide) an email address.

I have waited up for my arrivals - especially if they have horses because I am guiding them in to the stable. The last two with horses have been REALLY late with one coming in at 11pm and the other finally getting to the exit at 3am! That guy, when I came up to the driver's door to tell him about where we were going to go, jumped out and gave me a bear hug (startled the heck out of me) - he was so grateful I was there to guide them!

One week earlier, while I was waiting for the 11pm family, I am parked at the side of the road on the ramp with 4-ways flashing so my people will see me. There is a lot of dirt being moved on the property there in prep for a new development. All of a sudden I see a young man coming up to the passenget side of my car from across the dirt piles. Startled me a bit. I put the window down a bit on that side to hear what he was saying, "Are you OK or did your car break down?" I told him I was waiting for someone but thought it was nice that he cared enough to walk over and ask.

9 PM. At that point, I put the envelope on the door with directions for how to get in. If I have any concerns I also run their card at that time. If the card doesn't go thru, no envelope, they will have to ring the bell to get in.

I need my sleep. And even if I don't go to bed, I need to be 'off work' for a few hours.

I don't call them. If they're not coming, they're not coming and it's too late to do anything about it and I don't want to get into an argument right before I go to bed. As a matter of fact, I never call a guest who doesn't show or who is very late.

It's when I hear stories like these that I am really thankful we went with the separate cabins. Their arriving past my bed time...no problem. A note on the door tells them what cabin they are in, the cabin is left unlocked and lights on. The note also tells them we'll see them at breakfast time (tells them the time). I go off to bed and expect that either the phone will wake me up because they are on rt 14 when they should be on rt 414 or some other reason they are completely lost..or I will not hear a peep from them until I see them for breakfast. Either way, I have it good and I appreciate that

We had late arrivals ... passed their arrival time. But thankfully they phoned. We ended up having to "sleep/wait" until 1:30 am ... :s Were not happy, but they were repeat guests. Thankfully they kept phoning to say they were still coming but delayed.

big challenge here is that cell phone service quits on a number of dark, rural roads leading here ... so they can't call, and i can't call them if they are in a 'dead zone' and there are many out this way. no cell towers.

this assumes, of course, that they are on their way, that it has suddenly got dark (have you noticed how it's getting dark earlier by the day all of a sudden?) and they are lost.

i noticed one of the few 'pay phones' that has been out of service for the past couple years in the next town had been removed. i asked the store owner if it was being replaced ... he said no ... the phone company 'declined' to replace the pay phone ... even though he spent a few long, spirited times on the phone with customer service explaining about no cell reception, etc. their answer was sorry, no. the phone co. said it removed those phones not making enough money.

big challenge here is that cell phone service quits on a number of dark, rural roads leading here ... so they can't call, and i can't call them if they are in a 'dead zone' and there are many out this way. no cell towers.

this assumes, of course, that they are on their way, that it has suddenly got dark (have you noticed how it's getting dark earlier by the day all of a sudden?) and they are lost.

i noticed one of the few 'pay phones' that has been out of service for the past couple years in the next town had been removed. i asked the store owner if it was being replaced ... he said no ... the phone company 'declined' to replace the pay phone ... even though he spent a few long, spirited times on the phone with customer service explaining about no cell reception, etc. their answer was sorry, no. the phone co. said it removed those phones not making enough money.

I will confirm the cellphone service or lack thereof! We had to get to Owl's Head Museum before our phone would work again.